Telephone-support



' (No Model.)

P.'E. HALL.

TELEPHONE SUPPORT.

N0. 400,911. Patented Apr. 9, 1889 I WITNESSES IJV'VENTO R 1M def/45M E QM .Attorn y I Wfi M v MMEM N. PETERS. mmumn n nu. Waahi oooooo a.

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

PHILO E. HALL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TELEPHONE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 11:0. 400,911, dated April 9, 1889.

Application filed November 25, 1887. Serial No. 256,125. (No model.)

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILO E. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Telephone-Supports; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists of the combinations of devices and appliances hereinafter specilied, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a device embodying; my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section, from front to rear, of the same.

I-Ieretofore as telephones have been ordinarily erected their position has been fixed and is usually too low for a tall person and too high for a short person, so that different persons using the telephone will often find this feature a source of annoyance, one having to stoop in order to bring himself into position for speaking into the transmitter, and the other having to stand on tiptoe or provide himself with a stool to stand upon.

It is the purpose of this invention to remedy this difficulty, and the same is accomplished by making the support of the transmitter adjustable up and down, so as to be instantly suited to the proper height for any individual.

The invention further consists in providing the said adjustable support with a shelf which will move up and down with the support, said shelf being of sufiicient size to admit of the user resting his forearm upon the shelf, which may serve as a desk upon which any necessary memorandum book or paper may rest.

The invention consists, further, in providing said elongated shelf with a folding leaf which may be raised up or swung down at pleasure, said leaf adapted when in its raised position to enlarge said shelf toward the front at the side of the user, and so afford a better rest for his forearm; and, finally, my invention consists in a construction whereby all the fore going features are grouped into a convenient and compact form, and all massed in connection with a board or frame which may be immediately fastened to the wall, the same as a telephone-board is fastened to the wall, thereby adapting the invention so that it shall require no other labor on the part of the employ than the simple fastening of the board to the wall and the connecting of the wires in the usual way.

In carrying out my invention, A represents the wall to which the telephone is attached.

B represents a suitable frame.

0 is the supporting-board which usually supports the signaling apparatus, transmitter, and its battery. This board 0 is adapted to slide within the frame B, which engages it at its edges.

D is a counterpoise-weight supported by a chain or cable, E, which passes over a suitable pulley or pulleys, F, and is attached to the board 0, so that the said weight counterpoises the board and its load.

G is a shelf. I would usually, for convenience, use this shelf instead of the top board, which covers the battery-box. This shelf I propose to enlarge both at the front and the side, so that the same shall project out and form a rest for the forearm of the person using the telephone, and the hinged leaf G may or may not be provided. The purpose of this hinged leaf is that when raised in the plane of the shelf it may afford a better rest for the forearm. It is thus seen that the operator may at once, by raising or lowering the telephoneboard 0, bring the transmitter to the level of his mouth, whether the said user be tall or short, or whether he be in standing or sitting posture.

The sliding board 0 may be connected with the line by a short section, H, of chain or flexible cable, so as to admit of this movement without breaking or impairing the connection of the telephone-line.

Instead of the weight D extending across behind the adjustable board, the said board might'be suspended by regular sash-weights at its edges.

A device of this character will greatly reduce the fatigue incident upon the continued or frequent use of the telephone, and the shelf,

made adjustable simultaneously with the board 0, is by the adjustment of the said board simultaneously brought into proper and convenient position for the user, and the whole is grouped in such convenient and compact form that the frame B, which carries all the other apparatus, may be simply connected with the wall at the residence or place of business of any subscriber in the same way that the ordinary telephone-board is erected, requiring no skilled labor of any character, and no more time for its accomplishment.

hat I claim is 1. In a telephone-support, the combination, with the frame B, of the supporting-board O, sliding vertically within said frame and hav ing attached thereto the signaling apparatus, transmitter, and battery-box, the shelf G on the battery-box, the hinged leaf G at the front and to one side of said shelf, and the connterpoise D, situated in a space in said frame B and connected to the upper end of the supporting-board by the chain E, said frame B, with all the other appliances attached, made portable and adapted to be fast cued against the wall of a room, substantially as described.

The cmnbination, with the srmportingboard having the signaling apparatus, transmitter, and battery-box attached thereto, of the shelf lltVll'lg the hinged leaf an d located on the top of said battery-box, the chain E and weight D, and the chain or flexible cable ll, for permitting the Vertical movement of the parts without breaking the connection with the telephone-line, all operatingin the frame B, said frame 13, with all the otherapplianees attached, made portable and adapted to be fastened against the wall of a room, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the frame ]3,havin g a space for the reception of the weight and chain, the weight and chain within said space, and a space for the reception of the supporting-board, and the supporting-board sliding therein, of the shelf G and flexible cable H, said frame B, with all the other appliances attached, made portable and adapted to be fastened against the wall of a room, snbstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

PIIILO E. IIALL.

Witnesses:

N, B. ODocnnnrv, SAMUEL E. THOMAS. 

